COACHING & TRAINING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 64, 17 April 1946, Page 7

COACHING & TRAINING

ESSENTIALS OF ROWING (By “Whippitin”) This is not an effort to teach coaches their job. It is only a brief [outline of the necessity and importanc of sound coaching, particularly where regatta racing is intended. I Neither is it an effort to teach every aspect of training, but again, just an outline of the advantages in following certain rules carefully, as laid down by the particular coach. First of all, it should be remem- j bered that in New Zealand, coaches I give their time and knowledge without remuneration, for the love of the game, and in response should receive complete attention and consideration from each mmber of a crew.

Every shed should standardise

[ the style they wish to adopt, with a definite sequence to the order of teaching, so that no doubts are set up through divergent opinions. That method should be adhered to rigidly, so that the correct principles of oarsmanship are most easily taught and assimilated.

When a regatta crew has been [ selected and the coach’s main requirements have been hammered into their heads sufficiently, it will be found that regular, long rows will pay big dividends, and the crew will quickly settle down with a semblance of the smooth combination and perfect balance which is so essential.

This common fault of a mile up

the river and a mile home' again is not good enough. Make it a minimum of two or three miles each way every night and the benefits will be aparent in short time. The Otago Eight, which won the Provincial honours several times was an extreme example of this principal. For their first outing, their coach would take them for a long, steady paddle to Port Chalmers and back to Dunedin non-stop! Roughly, that would be about 15 miles, and when

the crew reached home again, they were swinging along with lovely rhythm and perfect timing. That is a prodigious row, but quite possible in an Eight made up of picked men.

But there’s the principle for you. Now about training—if you’re good enough to be selected for a crew it should be good enough to put some honest enthusiasm .into your training. If you aren’t prepared to put real effort and all your inteligence into the job, don’t handicap the rest of the crew by lialfheartedness, but make way for some one who is game enough to carry out every rule of training laid, down by the coach. The physical and mental benefits of rowing are soon apparent, and you need not be without pride in mixing with a class of chap who has a bit more “heart” than most sports demand.

Listen carefully to your coach and don’t baulk at intense training. You’ll be worked hard, and you’ll love it!